A bill barring drivers from touching their cellphones while on the road is on its way to the Senate after narrowly escaping the house. . The anti-distracted driving legislation was inspired by the uptick in distracted driving road deaths in recent years. The bill passed with 53 votes.

The “Adoption Option” bill that would require abortion clinics to provide information about the adoption process to women seeking abortions is nearing final passage. The legislation would also mandate the creation of a state website with information about adoption. The bill has received little opposition in the legislature.

Students who had the GPA, but were a few points shy of qualifying for TOPS in high school could get another shot at the scholarship under a bill that is almost to the governor’s desk. The legislation would allow students who scored 17, 18, or 19 on the ACT, but have a 3.2 GPA after two years in college to collect TOPS for their last two years.

The top aide to Secretary of State Tom Schedler denies knowing about sexual harassment allegations against his boss until a lawsuit detailing the accusations was made public. Kyle Ardoin says the accuser never came to him with any problems. Ardoin is set to take over the office when Schedler’s resignation takes effect Tuesday.

Louisiana now meets the highest standard of air quality according to EPA standards. Governor John Bel Edwards says the success is the result of notable increases in air quality in the Baton Rouge area parishes. DEQ Environmental Scientist Vivian Aucoin says its great news for quality of life in the Bayou State.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu is set to end his second term Monday after 8 years in charge of the Crescent City. Landrieu guided the city through a tumultuous post Katrina recovery period, but political analyst Clancy DuBos says nationally he’ll be most remembered for his part in the removal of the confederate . Mayor-Elect Latoya Cantrell will replace Landrieu.

The mother of a Claiborne Parish boy who disappeared a month ago has been arrested on charges unrelated to the child’s disappearance. Shelia Phillips is being held in jail while search teams continue to comb the area around her house where she says her 4-year-old son disappeared. Shelia was arrested on a drug charge. Her husband, Demarcus Gilbert, was arrested for stealing scrap metal two weeks ago.

The State Fire Marshal’s office believes a cell phone is responsible for a fire that injured a one-year-old child in Jeanerette. Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says a 14-year-old resident told detectives he was sleeping in a room with his little sister, when he awoke to use the bathroom, he smelled smoke and saw the mattress on fire. Detectives learned it was an I Phone 6 that caught fire.

The Department of Corrections says Angola guards thwarted an attempt by an inmate who tried to escape. Authorities say the inmate who was serving a life sentence for aggravated rape, ran away from the farm line, shots were fired, but he was eventually tackled by officers.

Jeff Davis Parish authorities say they arrested nine people who were protesting the Bayou Bridge Pipeline . Deputies say the protesters were mingling around heavy equipment, causing a safety hazard for themselves and the construction workers. They were cited for trespassing.

Sports..

The LSU baseball team can turn its season around, if they can take this weekend’s series versus fourth ranked Arkansas. Coach Paul Mainieri’s team is in a slump, while the Razorbacks are one of the top teams in a loaded SEC. But, on the plus side, The Tigers have won 12 of their last 13 SEC regular-season series versus Arkansas. Tonight’s game starts tonight at 7:30 on KSYL 970am / 100.3 HD3fm

The Pelicans take on the Warriors at home for game three of the series tonight, looking to grab their first win in this series. They’ve lost their first two games by an average of 14 points, after beating the Golden State in their last regular season matchup. Airtime tonight at 6:30p on 94.7 ESPN.